Nearly 50 marijuana dispensaries may be forced close – Lansing State Journal

Here’s a look at what type of impact medical marijuana could have in Michigan, especially the Lansing region. Eric Lacy / Lansing State Journal

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This Lansing marijuana dispensary, with a drive-thru window, is located near Capital Region International Airport. City and state regulations will crack down on the number of these types of businesses.(Photo: Eric Lacy / Lansing State Journal)Buy Photo

LANSING — Nearly 50 marijuana dispensaries may be forced by the city to close within a few weeks, fined up to $1,000 a day if they don’t close or have their owners taken to court.

City Attorney Jim Smiertka said Tuesday his office has identified 48 locations that may be dispensaries in violation of the city’s ordinance and state law.

Each location received a cease-and-desist order on Friday, Smiertka said.

Smiertka is hopeful his staff will determine in about a week whether each location houses a dispensary that’s not in compliance with local and state regulations that took effect on Dec. 15.

“We think we’ve done a great job in locating,” Smiertka said of potential non-compliant dispensaries, “and now we have to physically verify.”